It takes a lot of energy to make the briefest of outfits. Budgy Smuggler owner Adam Linforth said the monthly power bill at its factory in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west, where the company makes swimwear and accessories, had risen 40 per cent in the past year.“If you’re making stuff, you need power,” he said. “This is unavoidable and a compounding challenge that we’re having to manage as it comes.
Budgy Smuggler owner Adam Linforth at his swimwear company’s factory in St Peters in Sydney’s inner west.The government hopes the strengthening of multi-employer bargaining will eventually lead to pay rises in other low-paid sectors, but employers are worried IR changes will lead to increased costs and widespread industrial action.
“There is a scare campaign being waged by big business who do not want to give their workers pay rises to try and stop or delay Labor’s bill,” she said.“It’s odd that this is where the attention has gone when things like tax reform are badly needed,” he said. “One battle at a time though. Right now, this isn’t a priority for us, but it’s another concern on the radar.”
Nicolaou said energy costs were increasingly a major concern for businesses of all sizes, especially in energy-intensive manufacturing industries and construction. “But they’re often the same people, like us, with rising mortgages and power bills to pay, so there are limits,” he said.